The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to May 20, 2024. This information is not independently verified by LexObserver.
Mail Heist
Monday, May 13 at 1:45 a.m., a patrol officer stationed nearby observed an individual reaching behind the USPS dropbox and tax collectors depository at 1626 Mass Ave. along with a black vehicle parked in front of the boxes with lights off. The officer activated blue lights and headlights signaling the individuals to stop. After the man entered the rear passenger seat, the vehicle reversed through the one-way driveway. The driver failed to stop and accelerated eastbound onto Mass Ave. Despite the lights and sirens, the car’s speed increased to an estimated 50 to 70mph and failed to stop. The pursuit continued until the reckless driving of the perpetrators forced the LPD to stop the high-speed pursuit.* Later, surveillance footage showed the suspect had retrieved a bag from the USPS box and dumped it into the back seat before returning the empty bag to the box.
*Lexington Police Department policy for High-Speed Pursuit Number: 41D
“As a general statement, a sustained high-speed pursuit is prohibited except under the most unusual circumstances. The potential danger to the officer and the general public outweighs the potential advantage of stopping a fleeing vehicle by such means. Stated simply, pursuit is clearly inappropriate when the pursuit itself endangers life more than the escape of the person pursued.”
Community Engagement
Monday, May 13 at 8:00 a.m., Chief McLean participated in a photo for the 250th celebration with the Collaborative Reform Group.
Monday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m., Detective Chaisson met with the Conservation and Building Inspectors Departments for active threat training. The detective reviewed what to do in various circumstances if an active threat were to take place.
Monday, May 13 at 4:00 p.m., Detective Sullivan and canine Maisie spent time at the Learning Center at Cary Library for a youth group meeting held by the town’s Youth and Family Services Manager/ Social Worker Penny Tsiounis.
Wednesday, May 15 at 10:50 a.m., police units assisted with the unveiling ceremony of the new LexSeeHer women’s monument at Lexington’s Visitor Center.
Friday, May 17 at 9:05 a.m., two officers participated in Woburn’s Reeves Elementary School event for Law Enforcement Appreciation Week.
Saturday, May 18 At 2:00 p.m., Lieutenant Dunbar attended an AAPI event at the Lexington Historical Society.
Saturday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m., Lieutenant Dunbar attended the Holi Festival at Hastings Park.
Directed Park Lock and Walk – Schools
Six DPLW school visits took place at elementary, middle, and high schools this week. During each, there was interaction with students, faculty, and staff as officers familiarized themselves with each school’s layout. All was in order this week.
Disturbance, Noise Complaints, and Town Bylaws
Saturday, May 18 at 12:05 p.m., a call came in from the director of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Armory on Bedford St. The director requested assistance removing six families who were no longer welcome. They left the premises without incident.
Saturday, May 18 at 12:55 a.m., an East Emerson Rd. resident called to complain about a group of individuals having a party, being loud, and “possibly drinking.” An officer spoke with the owners of the house who agreed to end the party for the night.
Saturday, May 18 at 11:50 p.m., a Winchester Dr. resident called to report a loud party. The responding officer reported a 40th birthday celebration party. They agreed to take the party inside for the night.
Sunday, May 19 at 3:10 a.m., a Waltham St. caller reported a vehicle parked outside his house for the past hour playing loud music. The responding officer reported individuals were advised and moved along.
Wednesday, May 15 at 7:40 p.m., loud construction activity was reported near Bridge St. and Payson St. Lopez Construction was reminded of the town bylaws and stopped work for the night.
Saturday, May 18 at 7:55 a.m., a Buckman Drive resident called regarding a yard crew working in violation of the 9:00 a.m. start time of the town bylaw. The responding officers spoke with an employee of Northeast Gardening. They were advised of the bylaw and left.
Saturday, May 18 at 8:25 a.m., a Thoreau Rd. resident reported a construction crew working in violation of town bylaws. The responding officer reported interior painting and outside masonry work being done by Beacon Point Development. The contractor on site was advised of the town bylaw.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, May 13 at 8:00 a.m., a caller from the Great Rock Rd/Crescent Rd. area reported an unknown person riding a motorcycle around the neighborhood. She found this “suspicious.” The responding officer found all was in order.
Wednesday, May 15 at 10:40 p.m., a Solomon Pierce Rd. resident called to report a male banging on her front door. She described the individual as muttering words she did not understand. The responding officer located this individual and identified him. He said he used to live at the address and accidentally ordered a package to this house address and not his current residence. The responding officer advised him of the nature of his actions and there were no further issues.
Sunday, May 19 at 1:40 p.m., an Emerson Rd. resident reported a man going through people’s backyards. An officer spoke with the reporting party and located the individual in question on Adams St. This individual suffers from “mental health issues” and was calm upon arrival. The individual went on his way and the reporting party was satisfied.
Animal Control
Please keep your dogs safe – follow Lexington’s leash law.
Monday, May 13 at 2:40 p.m., an Oakland St. resident reported an older golden retriever loose in his yard. The responding officer reported a male cream-colored golden placed in the pound. A picture was sent to the community officer, and a message was left for the ACO. It was not until 5:20 p.m. that the dog’s owner picked him up at the kennel.
Tuesday, May 14 at 1:15 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident reported a sick or injured bird. The responding officer located a deceased hawk in a trash bag and DPW was notified for disposal.
Tuesday, May 14 at 3:30 p.m., a caller reported a wandering white lab on Angier Rd. She was nervous the stray would be hit by a car. The responding officer reported the dog had been reunited with its owner before his arrival.
Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m., a call came in regarding a dead raccoon In the area of Loring Rd. DPW was notified for disposal.
Saturday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m., a Woburn St. resident called to report she had found a small white dog wandering in the street near her home. The owner called the police stating he had lost his dog. The description matched, so the owner picked up his dog.
Saturday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m., a Hill St. resident reported a sick or injured coyote. The responding officer spoke with the homeowner, and the coyote was gone on arrival.
Larceny and Breaking and Entering
Tuesday, May 14 at 8:55 a.m., a Woodland Rd. resident reported his vehicle stolen sometime overnight. He reported the vehicle was last seen the night before in the driveway, unlocked with the keys inside. The vehicle was stolen between Monday at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. The vehicle was entered into CJIS as a stolen vehicle. Brockton PD called to report they had located it. The vehicle was unoccupied and missing the front passenger-side tire. The vehicle was towed.
Wednesday, May 15 at 1:40 p.m., a Phinney Road resident stated his fog lights had been stolen from his vehicle sometime between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. He was parked on the street outside of his residence. At 1:40, he noticed the fog lights (valued at $300 each) were missing.
Saturday, May 18 at 2:10 p.m., a Worthen Rd. resident reported her gray Cannondale bicycle was taken from their open garage. There was video footage clearly showing the thief in action as he rode off toward Sherburne Rd.
Tuesday, May 14 at 8:10 p.m., a Holmes Rd. resident reported his vehicle, his daughter’s, and his wife’s were broken into between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Only $40 cash was missing from his daughter’s vehicle, but all three were left unlocked overnight. A detective processed the scene.
Saturday, May 18 at 9:05 p.m., an Idlewild Rd. resident called stating that at 8:50 p.m. they received notification of a house alarm. They also stated the back door was open. Upon arrival, an officer found a smashed open back door. Another officer was dispatched to the location and reported that a house sweep was complete and a detective was dispatched to process the scene. When the officer spoke with the homeowner, she stated an estimated $200,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. The homeowners will provide an itemized list of stolen jewelry.
Fraud
Monday, May 13 at 9:55 a.m., a Blake Rd. resident reported Bank of America had notified him that there had been attempts in his name to open credit cards and an auto loan. He contacted credit bureaus and is in the process of speaking with Social Security. There was no monetary loss at this time.
Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30 p.m., a Butler Ave. resident came in to report identity fraud. She noticed an attempt to open a Bank of America credit card under her name. She contacted Bank of America and advised them she had not made this request. They froze her account and flagged it as fraudulent. On 5/10 she received a notification from Capital One and U.S. Bank who flagged and froze accounts before they were activated. At some point, she received notification from Wells Fargo that someone had applied for a loan under her name, however, some of the information on the application was incorrect, thus denying the loan and alerting her of the incident. This resident confirmed she did not apply for this loan, and they advised her they would document the incident. Walmart notified her of an attempt to open a debit card. She had contacted credit bureaus and described each incident. There is no monetary loss at this time.
Wednesday, May 15 at 10:30 a.m., a Fairbanks Rd. resident came in to report being the victim of wire fraud. While attempting to check information through Leahy’s hospital portal, he clicked an unknown link and called the number provided. They claimed to be Microsoft and had to run an antivirus check on the computer. He stated the computer had been hacked. They had her log into her bank account as it would cost $46,600 to fix issues with the computer. This hacker instructed her to transfer funds from her Citizens Bank account to a JP Morgan Chase account. Citizens Bank is attempting to stop the transfer. An officer spoke with the fraud department from JP Morgan Chase and explained the incident. The representative was able to freeze the account to prevent further funds from being withdrawn.
Wednesday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m., an employee at Enterprise Bank called to report a fraudulent check they had received. The responding officer noted a monetary loss of $900.
Friday, May 17 at 9:50 a.m., a Pleasant St. resident came in to report a check-washing situation. She mailed the check on March 22 in front of the Lexington Town Offices building.
Saturday, May 18 at 11:40 a.m., a Forest St. resident came in to report finding a fraudulent charge on his account due to a forged check. He wrote a check to his fuel company for $2,500, and an unknown person altered and negotiated the check for $12,550.24. He has been in contact with Cambridge Savings Bank. Also, he stated the check was placed in the USPS box in front of 1625 Mass Ave. on May 13.
*The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. Logs are available for public viewing.
I regularly read the police blotter, with an eye towards avoiding fraud. “Check washing” is a common way that fraudsters steal money from peoples’ checking accounts. In the past, people have been advised to use gel pens for signing checks, as gel ink was not easy to erase, unlike ball point pen ink. But now, thieves have ways of getting around that problem (see link), and paying bills online is recommended for preventing check fraud.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/verify/gel-pen-check-washing-theft/63-4c29319a-e126-4180-aafd-24d7bb8785ec
To David – Thanks for reading my Blotter, CW
Thought you might be interested in this:
“Check cooking” is a type of check fraud that involves scammers using stolen checks to create counterfeit checks. Scammers use photo editing software to alter the check’s amount or payee, and then print the counterfeit checks. This is a more advanced version of “check washing”, which involves using chemicals to remove the payee’s name or dollar amount from a stolen check.